The Heartbreaker's Agenda

054

I PEEKED through the crowded space of the venue to find Jastin. He said he was just around the corner but didn't tell me specifically which corner. They had three entrance and exit doors for the venue!

The hem of my dress kept touching the tip of my foot, so I had to pull it up constantly. I almost regretted wearing it despite its sparkly long skirt and corset-like bodice that made me feel like I was Cinderella who was late for the ball.

Except that I'm not. I'm just Gwen who is probably going to trip on this dress.

I left Maggie in our room because the hairdresser was still finishing her hair and it would take another 30 minutes for them to be done. So despite being nervous around other people, I weaved through a few of them who were talking to each other with a polite excuse me. I didn't want to interrupt their conversation while I was trying to find Jastin.

My eyes roamed for a few seconds, taking in the people around me that were dressed in different multi-color gowns and suits. It made me happy seeing us all together for one night before graduation and before moving on to college.

Truth to be told, I didn't want to go to events like this one because they were pretty expensive and I'd rather use my money on my plants and painting materials. But Maggie insisted that we should attend because this will be our last one as high school students.

So I did, and I can tell that it was worth the cost to see my classmates clad in their outfit and having a good time despite the looming end of our semester.

"Gwen, you look nice!" Maui, our class president stopped to greet me. She was dressed in a beige colored gown with lace sleeves that complimented her skin tone well.

I beamed at her compliment. "Thank you, Maui. You look good, too. By the way, have you seen Jastin Salviejo? Magpa-practice sana kami."

"Oh, he's there with his teammate." She pointed at the second door.

After I thanked Maui, I headed over to where Jastin was and he was indeed talking to a guy that I couldn't remember the name of. I think he's a new addition to their team and belongs to another section.

I thought I was ready to see him, but the moment I laid my eyes on him, my heart skipped a beat at how handsome and striking he looked.

He wasn't wearing anything out of this world, but his gray suit made of wool molded his lean body so well. Add to that was his long hair that didn't look like he made any effort to fix it. He just left it as it is: a black, wavy, long mane that framed his face well. 

I pursed my lips and grumbled on my way there. It's unfair. How come he looks nice with minimal effort? My heart is gonna explode because of the way he stands there looking like that!

When Jastin caught my eye, he turned his gaze and attention towards me, his eyes lingering on my face. And then, it never left even as he tapped the chest of his teammate to bid him goodbye.

"Hi," I said, almost breathless. "I'm sorry I'm late. It took a while to finish my hair and make up." 

Jastin stood at least a foot taller than me, but instead of being intimidated by his height and frame, it felt oddly comforting to be around him. His gentle gaze assured me that I can be just me. Just Gwen.

I've always got the impression that he wasn't the type of person who'd make you feel uncomfortable. He was nice to everyone, even if he didn't know them that much. 

"It's good. I asked them to wait for a few minutes since we were still waiting to be completed."

I turned my attention to a group of people near the mini stage that was there for us to use. I made an effort to not draw as much attention to myself.